Downtown LA has a lot of amazing things — but it also had an image problem.
Out-of-towners didn’t consider Downtown LA as a place to visit and our own residents were either completely in the dark or thoroughly confused about how much the city center had to offer. So, the Downtown Center Business Improvement District (DCBID) tasked us with overhauling the existing DowntownLA.com site and reinventing the brand.
We saw the project through the lens of being a tourist in our own town. As we got to know our own city, we saw Downtown LA as a hip, urban playground where culture and creativity meet. We wanted to infuse that excitement into the site. So, we made the design flexible, energetic and visually interesting. We made it easy to navigate and even easier to search for the cool stuff including idea starters like the “Happy Hour Finder” and activities organized by interests. It turns out people really like photos, videos and podcasts as well! We promoted the site to local businesses and national media via print, online, radio and event advertising.
By the end of the project, the site reflected the city’s vibrant culture and urban energy. We loved Downtown LA. And it seems others did too. Traffic to DowntownLA.com increased five-fold, email subscribers increased six-fold, and the site has become so popular, the DCBID now uses it as its primary brand. Let your urban vitality shine, LA!
